Queensland assistant coach Josh Hannay has a pair of aces up his sleeves as he pushes for appointment as Parramatta’s next head coach.
Hannay, who sits alongside Melbourne Storm assistant coach Jason Ryles as one of the two contenders for the job, possesses some ‘secret weapons’ that boost his coaching credentials.
Speaking on NRL360 on Wednesday night, The Courier Mail’s Peter Badel explained the Maroons assistant is “edging closr to the Parramatta Eels job.”
While Ryles is one of rugby league’s most coveted young coaches, Badel believes Hannay possesses a slight edge over the former representative prop.
“He’s got some secret weapons in his corner,” Badel said.
“Two of his references as part of this job application process are Billy Slater and Daly Cherry-Evans.
“There’s two fair aces up your sleeve if you’re going in to pitch your credentials and your bona fides to coach in the NRL.”
Hannay has been an assistant with the all-conquering Maroons side over the past few seasons, and has been considered a key component of Slater’s side’s recent dominance.
Badel explained as much, stating that as Queensland assistant coach Hannay’s “done a fine job, (he’s) been exemplary for the Maroons, really supportive.”
For this reason, Badel believes Hannay leads the race for the highly coveted Eels coaching gig.
“Jason Ryles may be a real chance, but I think Josh Hannay is the favourite at this stage,” Badel said.
“I would not be surprised if he gets the job with Daly Cherry-Evans and Billy Slater in his corner.”
Much has been made of the Eels’ lengthy search for a new head coach, with the hiring process dragging on over many months. In that time the list of candidates has whittled from as many as six down to two.
Some, including Fox League’s James Hooper, believes the seemingly never-ending search has become a laughing stock.
However, Maroons and Broncos great Gorden Tallis is in a different boat, telling the NRL 360 panel on Wednesday: “I don’t mind the process. They missed Wayne (Bennett), right? If you miss your target, you know what you do? You go and interview everyone.”
Tallis insisted Parramatta’s search is “covering all the bases for them.”
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